Switch mechanism



1,642,027 Sept. 13, 1927- o. 5. JENNINGS SWITCH MECHANISM Filed Dec. 2

INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Sept. is, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER S JENNINGS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR '10 WESTINGHOUSE ELEG- TRIC 8a MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA,

SWITCH MECHANISM. r

Application filed December 2, 1920. Serial No. 427,776.

My invention relates to switches and particularly to snap-action enclosed switches such as are used for controlling lighting and power circuits. f

An object of this invention is to provide a switch mechanism wherein the arcs usually incident tothe interruption of a loaded circuit are extinguished before the switch elements are injured.

7 Another object is to provide a switch mechanism wherein controlling means in the form of abarrier serves to extinguish the arcs incident to the opening of a loaded circuit. f

Another object is to provide a switch mechanism havin the above characteristics wherein the barrler serves as a shield for preventing access to the live switch-jaw members of the switch mechanism.

A further object is to provide a simple, effective and inexpensive method of extinguishing the electric arcs incident to the separation of the contact members of the switch mechanisms.

It is a well-known phenomenon that, when the switch members are withdrawn from enagement with the contact-jaw members, destructive arcin results. The life of the are thus produce has been reduced by opening the switch elements with a rapid or sna action. This method does not entirely elimlnate the arcs and the switch elements gradually become pitted and unserviceable as a result 0t repeated 0 ening operations.

To obviate this di culty and to extinguish the are before it has an opportunity to attain an injurious magnitude and temperature, I have provided a slotted barrier through which the movable switch element 40 passes in its opening movement. The barrier is so arran ed immediately adjacent the stationary swltch-jaw members that the contacting portion of the switch-blade mem- 'ber, upon disengagement from the switchjaw member, passes immediately th ough the slot in the barrier and draws tlie are into the slot where it isextinguished in a manner to be more fully hereinafter explained.

The barrier is disposed between the opening in the housing and the permanentlycharged switch-jaw member and serves as a shield for preventing access to the live-jaw members-through the opening in the cover.

The objects above defined, as well as others that will be apparent throughout the further description of the invention, are attained by means of the switch mechanism hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the apparatus shown installed in a housing, from which the cover has been removed.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the housing shown in Fig. 1, showing the switch mechanism'in side elevation.

\ Referring to the drawings, the apparatus includes a metal housing provided with a detachable cover portion 4 having a hinged door 5 for closing an opening in the cover. The switch mechanism is mounted upon an insulating base or panel 6 that is secured to the bottom of the housing. Upon this 7 base is mounted three separate sets of stationary switch-jaw members, each set con-- sisting of alined jaw members 7 and 8 that are arranged in spaced relation.

Between the jaw members 7 and 8 a switch shaft 9 is journaled for rotation. This shaft carries a knife-blade member 10 for each, setof jaw members, with which the blade members are designed to engage when in a horizontal position. When the switch-blade members are in vertical position, they are out of engagement with the jaw members.

The shaft 9 'is rotated by means of a shaft 11 which projects exteriorly of the housing from the side thereof and is provided with a suitable handle, not shown. Switch-operating mechanism 12is provided "within a comparement 13 for the purpose of so imparting movement to the switch-blade members that a predetermined turning movement of the shaft 11 causes the switch-blade members to be moved into or out of engagement with the switch-jaw members 7 and 8 with a snap action. A description of the details of this actuating mechanism. will not be herein recited because the specific actuating mechanism constitutes no part of this invention and any desired vfoipnrof switchactuating mechanism may be employed.

. The live conductors, not shown, entering the box 3 are attached to the vbinding screws 14, and the current applied from the conductors is conducted through the switch jaws 7 the switch blades 10, the switch-j aw members 8, the conducting strips 15, the fuse clips ,16 attached thereto, the fuse members 17 rier extends transversely of the housing 4 and prevents access to the live terminals through the opening in the cover.

Vertically disposed parallel slots 21 are provided in the barrier through which the switch-blade members 10 operate. These slots are of just suflicient width to clear the blades, and the thickness of the barrier is such that an extensive area of heat-absorbing material is presented adjacent the sides of the blades and in the vicinity of the final point of separation of the switch-blade member and the switch-jaw member. The barrier serves the two-fold purpose of shieldingthe live switch-jaw members 7 from ac cess thereto through the opening in the cover and of extinguishing the sparks incident to the separation of the switch-blade members from the switch jaw members.

The manner in which the. arcs are extin gulshed is as follows; When the blade members are moved out of engagement with the jaw members, the outer ends of the blademembers pass directly through the slots 21.

The arcs incident to the separation of the bladesfrom the jaw members come into con- I tact with the heat-absorbing or cooling walls of the slots in the barrier, whereby the temperature thereof is reduced and-the arcs are,

consequently, extinguished. I Thiscooling action is--facilitated .for the reason that the arcs are drawn into the slots, which. flatten them and prevent'their ex ansio'n except in the plane of the slots. bus, the areas of the arcs exposed to the cooling action'of the walls of the slots are increased and the heat absorption thereby is facili- .tated. 'Further, the action of drawing the arcs into a confined space increases thevelocity of the gases of combustion whichv tends to blow 'the sparks away from their respective terminals. There are, no doubt, disturbing influences set 11 by the entrance of the spark into a contiiied space, aside from those enumerated above, that facilitate .the extinction of the arcs'and it has been found that the barrier herein provided serves to successfully and positively extinguish arcs producedby loads that are many times' the rated capacity of the switch mechanism with which it is associated.

' It will be understood that the barrier, a

shown, may be applied to a great variety of types and forms of switches with equal effect, and that the form of barrier may be altered to suit the requireinents of theapparatustto which it is a plied without .departing from the spirit 0 my invention.

. While I have described and illustrztted but one embodiment of'my invention,'it will be. apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions, additions and omissions may be made in the apparatus described without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, as set forth in the appended claims. I claim as my invention:

v 1. The combination with a switch-jaw member and a s'nap-switch'member spaced from and movable into and out of engagement with the jaw-member with a sna action, of a transverse barrier dispo tween the axis of rotation of the switch memher and the 'aw member andprovided with an aperture t rough which the movable memher operates.

2. The combination with a switch-jaw member and a rotary switch member spaced therefrom and movable into and out of en-.

gagement with the'jaw member, of a transverse barrier disposed between the-axis of rotation of the switch member and the aw member and provided with an aperture through which the switch member operates in moving into or out of engagement with the jaw member.

- 3. The combination wi'th 'a pairof spaced switch-jaw members and a rotatable switch member forconnectin the said jaw niembers, of a transverse arrier disposed between the said jaw members and provided with an-aperture through which the said switch member operates in moving to open position. i

4. "Switch mechanism comprising a housing having an opening therein, a switch-jaw =memberwithin the housing, a rotatable switch member within the housing, movable into engagement with the said jaw member, and a transverse barrier disposed within the housing between the jawmember and the said opening and'between the jaw member and the ax'isof rotation of the switch member for preventing access to the said jaw. ,member through the said opening, -the;said

barrier being positioned between the switch member and the said jaw member and provided with an aperturethrough which the switch member positlon.

5. The combination with a switch-jaw' -i member and a rotary switch having blade members successively engaging the said jawi.

member when the switch is rotated in a operates inmoving to open re race? single direction, of a transverse barrier between the axis of rotation of the switch and the said jaw member having an aperture through which the blade members successive- 1y operate in moving into and out of engagement with the jaw member.

6. Switch mechanism comprising a housing, a contact member within the housing, a switch member rotatably movable-into engagement with the contact member and a transverse barrier within the housing disposed between the contact member and the axis of rotation of the switch member and having an aperture through which the switch member operates in moving from engagement with the contact member.

7. The combination with a switch jaw member and a rotary switch member spaced therefrom and movable into and out of engagement with the jaw member, of a transverse barrier disposed between the axis of rotation of the switch member and the jaw member and provided with an aperture through which the switch member extends when in o erative relation to the jaw memher and tl frough which the switch member operates in moving to open position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 5th day or November, 1920. 7

crime s. JENNINGS. 

